Inter Milan secured their place in the Champions League semi-finals after a pulsating 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich at the San Siro, advancing 4-3 on aggregate.
Holding a slender 2-1 advantage from the first leg, Inter were pegged back early in the second half when Harry Kane fired home a precise low strike. But the goal served as a wake-up call for the hosts.
Lautaro Martinez responded swiftly, pouncing from close range after a chaotic corner. Moments later, Benjamin Pavard, facing his former club, rose highest to head in Hakan Calhanoglu’s corner, giving Inter a two-goal cushion in the tie.
Bayern, under Vincent Kompany, refused to go quietly. Eric Dier’s looping header at the far post brought hope with 14 minutes remaining. The drama escalated in stoppage time when Thomas Muller was denied by a superb Yann Sommer save.
Tensions spilled over as Bayern’s Josip Stanisic shoved a ballboy during a heated moment, later expressing regret.
Despite the late scare, Inter held firm. Simone Inzaghi’s men now prepare for a blockbuster semi-final against Barcelona, with dreams of a historic treble alive – they sit top of Serie A and remain in the Coppa Italia hunt.
Inter Milan booked their place in the UEFA Champions League semifinals after a pulsating 2–2 draw with Bayern Munich at the San Siro. They progressed 4–3 on aggregate in a tie defined by tactical discipline, clinical finishing, and high-stakes drama.
Simone Inzaghi’s men came into the second leg with a slender 2–1 advantage from the Allianz Arena and knew Bayern would come out swinging. As expected, Thomas Tuchel’s side started with purpose, dictating the tempo through midfield dominance and positional rotations. Bayern controlled possession in the early phases, with Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka orchestrating the play from deep, but Inter’s back five held shape with precision, denying space between the lines and forcing the visitors into wide areas.
Despite their territorial advantage, Bayern failed to generate high-quality chances in the first half. Inter absorbed the pressure well, with Francesco Acerbi and Stefan de Vrij commanding aerial duels and Yann Sommer sweeping confidently behind the defensive line.
The deadlock broke early in the second half. In the 52nd minute, a lapse in Inter’s midfield press allowed Jamal Musiala to find Kane in the left half-space. The Bayern skipper took a sharp first touch and rifled a low strike across goal, beating Sommer at the far post to level the tie on aggregate.
Inter’s response was immediate and ruthless. Just six minutes later, a dangerous delivery from Çalhanoğlu caused chaos in the box. Bayern failed to clear the second ball, and Lautaro Martínez reacted quickest, smashing home from six yards. It was his fifth goal in as many UCL appearances—yet another big-game contribution from the Argentine forward.
Inter smelled blood. Three minutes later, another Çalhanoğlu corner was weighted perfectly toward the near post. Benjamin Pavard rose highest, meeting the ball with a thunderous header that left Manuel Neuer rooted. It was the Frenchman’s first goal for Inter, and it came against the club he left only months prior.
Down 4–3 on aggregate, Bayern threw numbers forward. Tuchel introduced attacking reinforcements and pushed Eric Dier into an advanced role. The tactical gamble paid off in the 76th minute. A floated ball from Kimmich found Dier at the far post, and the Englishman guided a looping header over Sommer to restore hope.
With time running out, Bayern chased the equalizer with urgency. Thomas Müller came closest in stoppage time, meeting a deep cross with a firm header, but Sommer produced a brilliant reaction save to keep Inter’s aggregate lead intact.
Emotions boiled over in the dying moments as Bayern’s Josip Stanišić shoved a ballboy in frustration—an act he later admitted was “a bit stupid” during post-match interviews.
The final whistle confirmed Inter’s passage to the final four, where a clash with Barcelona awaits. With a three-point cushion atop Serie A and a Coppa Italia semifinal on the horizon, Inzaghi’s side remains on course for a historic treble. The performance against Bayern was a showcase of game management, set-piece efficiency, and tactical maturity.